
THURSDAY
September 21
109
Judged by Works; Saved by Faith
Follow
the train of thought below, looking up the various texts. How
does this help you understand what a judgment by works means
for us who are saved by faith?
A professed follower’s life comes up before God: Every work,
every secret thing, every idle word comes into review (Ps. 135:14,
Eccles. 12:14, Matt. 12:36, Rom. 14:10-12, 2 Cor. 5:10, Heb. 10:30).
Who could stand before such a scrutiny? No one (Rom. 3:23, Gal.
3:22, 1 Tim. 1:15, Rom. 3:10). However, for the true followers of
Christ, Jesus stands as their Advocate, their Representative, their
Intercessor in heaven (Rom. 8:34, Heb. 6:20, 7:25, 9:24, 1 John 2:1).
And though they have nothing in and of themselves to give them
merit before God, though they have no works that are good enough to
justify them before the Lord, their lives—however faulty, however
defective—nevertheless reveal their true repentance and faith
(Matt.
7:24-27, John 14:15, James 2:14-20, 1 John 4:20, 5:3). How they
treated others, the poor, the needy, prisoners, how they forgave as they
were forgiven, the words they spoke, the deeds they did (Matt. 7:2;
12:36, 37; 18:23-35; 25:31-46)—while these things never could jus-
tify them before God, while they never could answer the demands of
a broken law, they reveal those who have accepted Christ as their
Substitute—and His righteousness alone, which covers them like a
garment, gets them through the judgment (Leviticus 16; Zech. 3:1-5;
Matt. 22:1-14; Rom. 8:1, 34; Heb. 9:24; 1 John 2:1).
Or, as Ellen White so clearly expressed it: “But while we should
realize our sinful condition, we are to rely upon Christ as our right-
eousness, our sanctification, and our redemption. We cannot answer
the charges of Satan against us. Christ alone can make an effectual
plea in our behalf. He is able to silence the accuser with arguments
founded not upon our merits, but on His own.”—
Testimonies for the
Church, vol. 5, p. 472. The futility of our works for salvation should
cause us to lean totally on the mercy and merits of Christ. Then, out
of love and thankfulness for the assurance of salvation that’s ours
through Christ, we ser
ve Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and body,
a service that’s expressed in works. How else could it be?
How well do your works reflect your faith? Or, is that the prob-
lem:Your works only too well reflect your faith? What things do
you need to r
epent of and change in order to reflect more fully
the righteousness of Jesus, which is yours by faith?